American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS)

Message from the President

Dear ACDS Member,

As fall approaches, with scents of apple cider in the air and visions of pumpkin-flavored everything, take a moment and take a deep breath of gratitude for what is good. There is a lot of good happening here at ACDS! Over the past year, ACDS has remained a strong and innovative organization. From hosting virtual events to engaging new members, ACDS continues to grow!

Now is your opportunity to get involved with the Society! Help choose one of your future leaders by submitting a nomination for an open Board of Director position. Submit a letter of interest to become one of two new Deputy Editors for the Dermatitis journal. Do you have a specific passion? Volunteer for one of our committees. There is something for everyone.

Despite the limitations on our ability to meet in person this year, ACDS has continued to offer opportunities to engage our membership. Our virtual events have helped our members stay connected, and they are pretty fantastic! Our Virtual Journal Club had approximately 80 people in attendance and the interactive Board Review session had 180 attendees. Be sure to check out our next virtual event which is scheduled for October!

Are you falling short on CME hours for 2020 due to the pandemic? The ACDS 2020 Annual Meeting Content has 4.75 hours of CME available. For more information, please click here.

Membership renewals for the 2021 calendar year are now open; we encourage you to renew your ACDS membership early to maintain access to CAMP, the Dermatitis journal, and our many other member benefits.

It is my hope that you, our members, have had every opportunity to stay healthy and happy this summer.

Yours in Patch Testing,

Facebook: @ACDSDermatitis @DermatitisJournal
Instagram: ACDS_Dermatitis
Twitter: @ACDS_Dermatitis @dermatitisJrnl

Membership for 2021 is now open!

Thank you for your past support of the ACDS. Our membership has never been higher with more than 2,400 members who share your interest in allergic contact dermatitis. We are now accepting membership renewals for the 2021 membership year. Get ahead by checking it off your list before the new year. Spread the word to your close colleagues to join or renew today.

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Nominate a Future Leader!
Accepting Nominations until October 8, 2020

The ACDS Board of Directors is the fiduciary body, responsible for governance of the ACDS and stewardship of its assets. It is empowered to act on behalf of the membership within the framework of the organization's bylaws and is legally, ethically, and morally responsible for performing its functions.

Nominations are being accepted for the following positions:

President-Elect (1 opening)
Board of Directors (3 openings)

All ACDS members are encouraged to nominate a fellow member of the Society for election to the board of directors. Self-nominations are allowed and encouraged. Find out more information by clicking here.

DEADLINE to submit a nomination is October 8, 2020.

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Deputy Editors

The American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) invites members to apply for the position of Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Deputy EiC) for its flagship journal, Dermatitis. There are two positions available and each position will serve for a five year term.

Deadline for submitting applications is December 1, 2020. Virtual interviews of selected candidates will be conducted by video or teleconference in December. The selected candidates will begin working under the guidance of Dermatitis Editor-in-Chief (EIC), Anthony Gaspari, beginning January 1, 2021.

For more information, please visit our website.

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Get Involved with ACDS - Join a Committee!

ACDS is currently recruiting committee members for the 2021 year. ACDS committees play a significant role in the continued growth and success of ACDS. In addition, each committee provides a unique perspective and approach to ensuring ACDS’s mission and vision is the core factor behind all initiatives and programs.

Please review the list of ACDS committees on our website. All committees have a three year term commitment and meet virtually by conference call several times a year. Committee terms will begin in March, 2021, following the ACDS Annual Meeting.

For more information about the different committees, please visit our website.

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ACDS AMA and Health Policy Committee Update

CMS Proposes Steep Cuts to Patch Testing Code

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2021 Medicare Proposed Fee Schedule to take effect on January 1, 2021. If adopted it will lead to an almost 11% cut in the reimbursement for the 95044 code as well as other procedural codes in dermatology. The reason for this is because the relative value unit (RVU) conversion factor (CF) has been lowered by CMS. The RVU CF will be reduced by 10.61%, from $36.1 in 2020 to $32.3 in 2021. This reduction is due to a statutory requirement that says that changes in RVUs may not cause the amount of expenditures for the year to differ by more than $20 million from what expenditures would have been in the absence of these changes. The cuts are taking place to offset CMS estimates that there will be significant increases in the total work and practice expense relative value units (PE RVUs), related to the increases for office-based Evaluation and Management (E/M) services and other codes that are valued based on those services. This statutory requirement is known as budget neutrality. So on the one hand we will see better rates for our cognitive work and, on the other hand, lower rates for procedures and diagnostic testing services.

Organized medicine groups including the AMA, AADA are advocating for a waiver of budget neutrality for at least one or two years. The devil is how to “pay-for” the waiver. CMS may be able to delay the cuts so that Congress has the time to enact legislation to waive budget neutrality. It will be important to communicate to your member of Congress on the impact these cuts will have on your ability to sustain patient access to patch testing.

AMA Meeting to Take Place Virtually

This year the Interim AMA meeting will take place virtually from November 13 – 16, 2020 due to the public health emergency. I will be representing ACDS at that meeting to help shape policy as a Representative to the Specialty and Service Society and a member of the Dermatology Section Council.

Bruce A. Brod, MD MHCI FAAD
Chair, ACDS AMA and Health Policy Committee

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The ACDS is committed to advancing the care and understanding of dermatitis and allergy through the promotion of education, research and advocacy. As part of this initiative, ACDS offers education awards to help encourage research in these areas.

Clinical Research Award for young investigators in the sub-specialty

Mentoring Award to nurture young leaders in the sub-specialty

Mid-Career Award provides financial support to defray the cost of acquiring specific skills and knowledge to enhance professional development

Outcomes Research Award to establish the value of expert specialist evaluation and management of chronic dermatitis

For more information or to apply for an award, click here.

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Upcoming ACDS Events

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Presenter: David Cohen, MD
Time: 8:00pm ET | 7:00pm CT | 6:00pm MT | 5:00pm PT
Registration: FREE! - Registration required below
A Zoom link will be provided to all registered attendees prior to the event.

To register, please click here.

This educational program was provided to you through the generosity of unrestricted grants from:

Click here for more information.

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Falling Short on CME Hours for 2020?
Sign up for access to the ACDS 2020 Annual Meeting Content and Earn 4.75 hours!

Access the ACDS 31^st Annual Online educational content now through the end of the year and watch at your own pace. If you have any questions please email us. Access to this educational content requires registration. Register today!